Low temperature growth of crystalline silicon thin films by ECR plasma CVD

Conference · Thu Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1998

OSTI ID:323644

Wang, L; Reehal, H S ^[1]

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1. South Bank Univ., London (United Kingdom). School of Electronic, Electrical and Information Engineering

Crystalline silicon films have been deposited on silicon and metal-coated corning 7095 glass substrates at temperatures of 280--680 C by electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition (PACVD) using an ultrahigh vacuum chamber and SiH{sub 4} as the feedstock. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Rutherford backscattering (RBS) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) have been used to characterize the films. At temperatures of {approximately}280 C, the as-grown films are microcrystalline with crystalline fractions between 50--97%. From XRD patterns, randomly oriented crystalline silicon grains were clearly present in the films with the grain sizes estimated to be between 170--370 {angstrom}. As the growth temperature is increased to 470 C, epitaxial growth on silicon is observed at growth rates of 140 {angstrom}/min without bias or hydrogen plasma treatment before film growth. N-type doping of the layers has been achieved using PH{sub 3} as the doping gas and solar cells with ECR growth emitters fabricated on 15 {micro}m thick p-type epilayers on p{sup +} substrates.

• OSTI ID: 323644
• Report Number(s): CONF-971201--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DOPED MATERIALS
FABRICATION
GRAIN SIZE
PHOSPHINES
SILICON
SILICON SOLAR CELLS